Ageless apparel: Generations of clothing on display in Rollinsford tell the story of times past

Monday

Aug 29, 2011 at 3:15 AMAug 29, 2011 at 9:43 AM

By RONI REINOrreino@fosters.com

ROLLINSFORD — Jean Demetracopoulos remembers putting on her great-grandmother's long dresses and tripping over the skirts when she was a young girl.

She remembers that some beads would fall off the outfits as she and her sister would prance around the house.

"This type of thing was part of my upbringing," she said. "It was all around me."

Now those same dresses are showcased in Rollinsford at the Col. Paul Wentworth Home as part of the Bloomers, Bonnets and Bustles display. Demetracopoulos is currently cleaning out her parent's home and said there are still more items to come.

"I want them to end up with somebody who will love them," she said.

Dozens of items are laying about the historic home, some carefully placed on tables, others filled out by mannequins to show the detail of the dresses.

"When you see them in a trunk, they have no life or shape," she said. "It's remarkable to see them out and being worn . . . so to speak."

Family members have worn the antique dresses to exhibits in the past, but Demetracopoulos said it's time they be cared for and aired out of the trunks.

The dresses on display are part of a collection the family has accumulated over several generations from the Abbott/Goodwin family in Massachusetts. Demetracopoulos said the majority of the clothing was probably worn in Lowell, Mass.

Julia Roberts, board member for the Col. Paul Wentworth Home, said she was excited to see the items in the home. Downstairs, a black and faint blue dress with intricate detail on the back caught her eye.

There are more bodices than skirts in the collection, which Roberts said is probably because the family reused the fabric for other outfits. Items like the detailed Civil War-era shirts are untouched save for a fixed seam, and lace-detailed shawls might have been skirts at one time.

"Some of the items, I think, have been altered over time," she said.

Even the children's clothing has been well cared for, Roberts added. The tiny jackets and dresses are like miniature renditions of the womanly gowns in the next room.

Upstairs in the bedroom, antique undergarments tell a story of what people kept hidden. A morning dress has structure, letting the woman of the house be "decent" if someone should come calling, but allowed her to be comfortable while cleaning or cooking.

Detailed lace hair veils and bonnets with the original lace show how carefully preserved the items were. The detailing is what makes the clothing interesting, Roberts said, showing the lining of the skirts.

"It's not made the way we make clothing today," she said.

The Bloomers, Bonnets and Bustles display is expected to be open for viewing until at least next weekend. For more information, call 742-4747.

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